Monday, 17 February 2014

Sinn Féin Poblachtach Chiarraí is to contest the upcoming local elections to Kerry County Council. At a convention last Thursday night (February 13) in Cahersiveen, the Maurice O’Neill Cumann selected Pádraig Garvey to contest the South and West Kerry constituency.

Pádraig is a member of Republican Sinn Féin since 2001 and has held many positions in the organisation. He is a member of the Ard-Chomhairle (National Executive) and is the Chairman of Comhairle Ceantair Chiarraí.

He is active in the local community through the Iveragh Young Farmers Group and the Foilmore Drama Group.

Pádraig runs Cha Healy’s bar in Cahersiveen Town. He is a carpenter by trade, and he also works on the family farm in Foilmore.

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Republican Sinn Féin is in the process of reorganising in some areas where unfortunately members had to be dismissed and other members left with them.

There is a lot of speculation out there regarding these areas and dismissals; the following is a synopsis of the facts surrounding those dismissals in Belfast, Cork and Newry.

BELFAST

On the instructions of the Ard Chomhairle a full audit of finances was undertaken by the National Treasurers of the Ulster office in Belfast following a refusal by the Ulster Office in Belfast to produce accounts. This resulted in the suspension of two members for “misappropriation of funds and misleading the Movement”.

The inquiry into the two members was properly constituted under the Republican Sinn Féin Constitution and was comprised of people who were not members of the Ard Chomhairle. Neither the two people who were dismissed, their witnesses or their advocate chose to attend the inquiry; the two people charged were dismissed in their absence.

At this stage Geraldine Taylor was not dismissed but was suspended and charged with not attending the Inquiry and her conduct at the Ulster Office (in June) which brought the office of Vice-President into disrepute. She failed to attend the appeal, which took place in her absence and recommended her dismissal. Her dismissal was accepted by the Ard Chomhairle.

To say that people were dismissed without an opportunity to defend themselves is a downright lie.

Prior to the inquiry, members of the McKelvey/Steele Cumann withdrew its support from the Leadership of the Organisation. Geraldine Taylor was among those who signed this letter, she refused to withdraw the letter or accept the findings of the inquiry.

The fact that Geraldine was dismissed from Republican Sinn Féin was first posted on the internet by one of her Cumann members and this information was relayed to her.

There was no character assassination of anyone by Republican Sinn Féin members.

Geraldine Taylor was one of a number of people along with members of I.R.V. who picketed the 2013 Ard Fheis.

CORK

The two members in Belfast requested Donal Varian from Cork to act as advocate for them during their inquiry. This was agreed by the Inquiry panel. When the inquiry sat it recommended that “having failed to attend the Inquiry Donal Varian face charges for showing contempt and disrespect for the Inquiry and Movement”.

Donal Varian was suspended and charged with “Undermining Republican Sinn Féin by deliberately obstructing the work of an Inquiry set up by the Ard Chomhairle and Undermining confidence in the leadership of the Organisation”. He was subsequently dismissed by the Ard Chomhairle meeting in July. He chose not to appeal his dismissal or engage in any way with the Leadership. The rest of the Cumann members refused to engage with the leadership either. The Ard Chomhairle arranged a meeting and travelled to Cork in early January but no member of the Cork Cumann turned up, nor did they notify any member of the leadership that they would not attend. In September they boycotted the Liam Lynch Commemoration in Fermoy organised by Republican Sinn Féin. Several letters have been sent to them over a long period of time but to date no reply has been received by Ard Oifig. Instead they have chosen to post what can only be described as disingenuous information on various forums, FaceBook and the wider internet. Therefore Cumann Mac Curtaín/MacSuibhne, Cork was stood down and the members dismissed. The Cumann is no longer affiliated to Republican Sinn Féin.

NEWRY

In the latter quarter of 2013 an allegation was made against a new member of the Newry Cumann in relation to ties with a convicted drug dealer. The Leadership did not know of these ties when she was accepted into the organisation. Once this information came to our attention she was suspended and a formal investigation was begun under the auspices of the Ard Comhairle, following which she was dismissed. While she had a right to an appeal this decision she chose not to do so. Certain Cumann members were willing to overlook/ignore her ties and chose to resign rather than accept the Organisation’s ruling.

While loyalty to one’s friends is an admirable trait, disloyalty to Republican Sinn Féin and the Movement is not. In all cases the members chose loyalty to a friend over loyalty to Republican Sinn Féin and the Republican Movement.

Members and supporters in those areas that are unsure of who is/is not aligned to the organisation can contact Head Office at 223, Parnell Street, Dublin 1; saoirse@iol.ie or 00353-1-8729747.

We are in the process of reorganising in Belfast, Cork and Newry and those wishing to apply for membership can send their names to the above or to cork@rsf.ie (not rsfcork.com andrsfcork@gmail.com which are no longer affiliated to Republican Sinn Féin), to belfast@rsf.ieor fill the application form on http://www.rsf.ie

The following statement was issued by the Ard Chomhairle of Republican Sinn Féin after its meeting in January 2014:

“The January 2014 meeting of the Ard Chomhairle of Republican Sinn Féin took the decision to reorganise in Cork City and County following the temporary standing down of the MacCurtáin/MacSuibhne Cumann.

“Sinn Féin Poblachtach will be launching a recruitment campaign shortly and we ask that people who support our policies and the Republican view, make contact to help in this project.

“Cork is a city and county with a proud tradition of resistance to British rule in Ireland. It is a county that suffered greatly in the fight for freedom and an end to the occupation in the six north-eastern counties.

“That fight is still ongoing and will continue as long as there is British rule in any part of Ireland.

Sunday, 26 January 2014

ANTI-WAR activist Margaretta D’Arcy was jailed on January 15 for trespassing on the runway at Shannon Airport.

The Galway woman, who is 79, had a three-month suspended sentence activated after she refused to sign a bond to keep away from unauthorised zones at Shannon. Margaretta conducted here own defence just as Mary Kelly did in 2003 when she was charged with criminal damage to a US Navy aircraft without lawful excuse when she took an axe to a war plane. Based on Marys actions Margaretta DArcy produced a play called Big Plane, Small Axe. The film follows her ordeal through three successive trials, in Kilrush and Ennis, and finally her sentencing at Limerick.

Well-known as a writer and a member of Aosdána, Margaretta DArcy was convicted before Ennis District Court in December, along with fellow activist Niall Farrell, after Judge Patrick Durkan was tols by the prosecution that they had endangered lives in blocking two flights from landing at Shannon in October of 2012.

The two members of the Galway Alliance Against War claimed they had a legal right to protest there against US Military use of Shannon.

Both received three-month prison sentences which were suspended on condition they enter into a bond for two years and to stay out of unauthorised zones at Shannon Airport. However, having refused to sign the bond, Margaretta DArcy was arrested at her home in Woodquay in Galway on January 15 and taken to Limerick prison to serve her sentence.

Her fellow campaigners have expressed outrage at her detention and a number of pickets and protest are planned in Dublin and Limerick and at Shannon itself on Sunday 9 February.

On January 17 a picket was placed on the 26-County Department of Justice, Stephens Green, Dublin. The well attended picket included many of her comrades in the CPI and PANA, members of the Irish arts and TDs.

Musician Dylan Tighe and writer and actor Donal OKelly drafted a letter to protest against what they call the outrageous jailing of artist Margaretta DArcy. The letter is posted on their Facebook pages and they are urging people to sign the letter, with a hope to gather the names of as many Irish artists as possible.

In the letter they stated that as Irish artists they were deeply disturbed and outraged at the jailing of DArcy, adding that it is grossly inappropriate and shameful treatment of a 79-year old woman.

The letter goes on to say that they are in complete solidarity with her actions and applaud her bravery in a time of tremendous cowardice and call for her immediate release.

Another picket was placed on Limerick Prison on the evening of January 15 and was very well attended. Shannonwatch said it will continue with the pickets repeating her demands GET THE US MILITARY OUT OF SHANNON.

THE release of Martin Corey from Maghaberry jail in Co Antrim on January 14, 2014 was “not before time” according to Josephine Hayden, a spokesperson for the POW Department, Republican Sinn Féin who welcomed his release in a statement on January 15.

She said “The treatment meted out to Martin Corey for nearly four years was nothing short of barbaric and it was difficult to get the general public and the media interested in Martin Corey’s internment from the beginning. While, quite rightly, we saw/see criticism of the mistreatment of prisoners in other countries – on social media and in the press — the case of Martin Corey was ignored, with a few honourable exceptions, by people here at home.

“The various British secretaries of state hid behind a wall of silence and claimed that Martin Corey was ‘a threat to the public’. Their case was based on secret evidence/closed material and unspecified allegations. The role of the courts to ensure that ‘not only must justice be done, but must be seen to be done’ took such a back seat that it disappeared.

“Not only was justice not done to Martin Corey, an injustice was done to him. Unspecified allegations are not allowed in courts of law, unless of course the allegations are made by states. We have seen the British Crown Forces and their collaborationists hide behind physical screens and screens of silence in many cases down the years, black-ops in good working order, still operational.

“For almost four years Martin sat in a jail cell not knowing why he was there – this is also the type of action that even the British condemn in other countries.

“Martin was held without any due process, he was never questioned from the time of his arrest about any specific incident(s) and his legal team have never been allowed to challenge any of the secret evidence that was bought before the Parole Commissioners – neither the legal team or the judge saw the secret evidence adjudicated on by a state appointed advocate.

“On his release the statement from the Northern Ireland (sic) Office said ‘The Parole Commissioners have decided to release Martin Corey on a licence that is subject to conditions which are designed to manage the risk they assess him to pose.’ On his release – after four years – we are still asking the question ‘what risk’?

She concluded: “Is it any wonder the Republicans have no confidence in and refuse to engage with what operates as the justice system in the Occupied Six Counties, when it sees a man who ran his own business for 20 years, just picked up and interned on the word of some anonymous MI5 individuals and held without charge or trial for almost four years. And who, according to media reports [BBC and UTV January 14/15, 2014], cannot even reside in his own home town.

“Martin should never have been interned in Maghaberry or any other jail. He should have been, and should be now, at home with his family and friends, working at his business and getting on with his life.

The ‘peace’ process has officially failed, but you will not get Washington, Dublin, London and Belfast to admit this because they have such a vested interest in its success. Has anyone seen Gerry Adams’ hidden bank accounts? They are there, well hidden and plentiful. The other Provo Leaders are not starving either.

This has been the plan from the beginning. It has been a shotgun approach from the beginning. Throw enough ideas out there and one might work. The underlying insinuation from 1998 has been the ‘peace’ process is a step closer to a united Ireland.

It was just the BIG LIE to suck the fools into the process and have the three governments gain control of the direction of partition. Fifteen years of nothing have passed and a United Ireland is not really a consideration.

The only political organisation that has a plan for the long-term unity is Republican Sinn Féin , headed by president Des Dalton. He needs our support to point out the failure of the ‘peace’ process and to offer the only true alternative.

We need a NEW IRELAND and we have it set out in Éire Nua. For American consumption it is best to refer to it in the English derivative. We want Americans to know that there is a New Ireland; it only has to be implemented.

Timing is everything and now is the time to raise the NEW IRELAND because the three governments have had to regroup and plan another approach to keep partition going. The United States has appointed Richard Haas to be the Peace Envoy to Northern Ireland to resolve the crisis.

Help me out here. I thought it was all settled and there was peace and the process was a stepping-stone to unity as was sold by Gerry Adams to Irish America. I guess he ran out of stepping stones.

Let’s touch on reality here. Haas is coming because the process is failing and is being difficult to sustain. In the interests of bi-partisanship, Obama had appointed a George Bush operative who served in the Six Counties from 2001 to 2003.

SETTLED

ghggWhat is he going back over issues that were supposedly settled. There is still violence he must address, flag disputes and this is the one to watch- How to deal with in solved crimes. The amnesty that was allegedly given to bring about and ensure the process is now back on the table.

Robinson and McGuinness are failing in their jobs so they are bringing in outside help. The truth is Obama wants to cut of money to keep the process afloat. Richard Haas is very pro-British and works with the British in his Presidency of the Council of Foreign relations.

He is there to take the pressure of Robinson and McGuinness and begin a dialog to diffuse other issues that concern Unionists and Nationalists. Republican Sinn Féin needs to jump out ahead and suggest very strongly that if Haas is serious, he will consider any plan and the NEW IRELAND federal plan can work.

The governments have ignored it because it can work but they can’t control. They want Haas to come up with another interim solution to buy another 15 years.

Haas has no intention of bringing about Irish unity, only controlled disunity. Haas has to buy off the leaders to keep them in place and Obama has given them a budget. But what happens to the average person who will never benefit from the process an will not benefit from this round wither. This is just partition round three.

Republican Sinn Féin must lead a New Ireland campaign. If there are republican reporters and republican county papers, they need tone sought out and the right questions asked of Haas. What is going to be new this time?

Fifteen years ago the Provo Movement promised progress towards unity and there has been less than none. They lied as they paid lip-service to keep their own rank and file in check. This would include their American supporters who were sold a bill of goods as well.

Haas is going to Ireland to calm things down, not to do anything concrete. No one wants change except republicans, so that means creating ones own change. Republican Sinn Féin has the tools, now it needs the means.

We have discussed the need to start at the bottom with city councils and local newspapers both in Ireland and the United States to bring the issues to the attention of the people. The campaign must be positive.

It must be stated we are beyond the ‘peace’ process which has failed and Richard Haas has been sent to bail it out. He will only try to fix the same failure. A New Ireland moved beyond failure and offers a future. Des Dalton etc all need to take on Haas.

Chairman Peter Ridino of the judiciary Committee endorsed the New Ireland back in 1978. We know he sent a delegation to Ireland which reported favourably to him that his committee could play a constructive role in achieving peace with justice in Ireland.

He wrote the Secretary of State asking for his cooperation in obtaining visitors’ visas for all participants. The talks would come under an ad hoc group he was going to set up and chair on Unity for the Irish People that would come under the Subcommittee on International Law.

He would appoint two staff and the Secretary could appoint two staff which the Chairman would oversee. Though he favoured Irish Unity, he would listen to all concrete plans. He would also appoint two Irish advisors to the committee. They would be Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, President of Sinn Fein and Andy Tyrie, Supreme Commander of the Ulster Defence Association.

What encouraged the Chairman was the feeling that it was time for the British to go. Ó Brádaigh wanted a 32-County Irish state and Tyrie wanted a Six-County independant northern state with association with the 26-County state. Both agreed the British had to go. This was a good starting point.

NEGOTIATIONS

The negotiations could be in the open or in camera, it was their choice. America should do all to encourage this breakthrough. There would be no participation of the Irish American Community. The participants could speak to them after each session.

I would even have to close the doors to the New Jersey groups who had worked with me for so long on this issue. They had no problem with this. I would like to mention the work of the Irish National Caucus of New Jersey which is not affiliated with the INC of Washington, DC, which had put in this effort.

Those who predicted the ‘peace’process would fail from the outset were correct. Richard Haas proves that . Now it is time for the real people to step up. Those meeting Haas will be those who go back 15 years and failed and will fail again.

The three governments are going back to square one to evaluate how to keep partition going. When there are arguments over flags and parades, it shows how deep is the hostility that the process was supposed to cure. Everyone was supposed to be good little Brits and conform.

The Provos make many or more complaints to their British masters than the Unionists. The leadership like the status quo despite the patronising words about unity now and again.

The process is weak therefore is weak and therefore they have sent in Richard Haas to rescue it. The process and its failure should be attacked relentlessly on both sides of the Atlantic. The process has nothing to do with republicanism because no Republican would participate and accept the Queen of England as the ultimate authority.

Republican Sinn Féin has never submitted to this process because it was so easy to see it would fail. Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton have been over to bolster it and now an official has been appointed to salvage it. It doesn’t need to be salvaged, it needs to be brought down and a New Ireland created.

Republican Sinn Féin could try to negotiate with Haas, but he does not want a solution. He is there to impose the will of the three governments. The only will is that of the Republican Irish people. Send him packing !

None of the concerned parties want to admit failure, but when you have to send in the President of the Council of Foreign Relations, something is going on and fear of failure has taken over.

Stormont goes back to 1922, it took the Provos 76 years later to accept it. They have shamed all those Republicans who sacrificed their jobs, normal lives and many the ultimate sacrifice to carry out the Republican mandate. The Provos are quick to throw out the word traitors to others who still maintain the struggle, but the traitors are those seen in the Provos mirrors.

It would be a great tribute to Ruairí Ó Brádaigh to get the New Ireland Plan (Éire Nua) out there for discussion. Don’t let Haas take over and start telling people what is needed. What is needed is for the British to leave and a New Ireland born.

Anyone interested in joining Republican Sinn Féin in Munster, and working towards the only long term credible alternative for a lasting peace with justice and prosperity in Ireland -- Éire Nua, can apply via the new online application form here. Of course all the traditional methods of applying still exist through your local cumann or member or through the RSF head office.

"Our policy must be full, clear, consistent, to satisfy the restless, inquiring minds; when we win all over, the merely passive people will follow." - Terence MacSwiney

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August 2012

"In a physical contest on the field of battle it is allowable to use tactics and strategy, to retreat as well as advance, to have recourse to a ruse as well as open attack; but in matters of principle there can be no tactics, there is one straight forward course to follow and that course must be found and followed without swerving to the end." -Terence MacSwiney